End of the line: the failure of Amtrak reform and the future of America's passenger trains

Abstract

This book contends that Amtrak is hopelessly flawed and should be phased out and suggests directions for America�s future. The book focuses on developments since the passage of the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act (ARAA) of 1997. It provides a brief history of Amtrak and describes the many years of mismanagement that lead up to the enactment of the ARAA; outlines the proposed reforms and Amtrak thwarted them; describes how Amtrak continually demands more subsidies and threatens to shut down when it has cash-flow problems; assesses post-reform developments and concludes that Amtrak� future is hopeless and that preserving Amtrak is irrational; examines myths about the value of Amtrak and fallacies about the cost of Amtrak; considers the threat of terrorism against rail passenger systems and highlights some train safety issues in New York City that Amtrak has not addressed; describes how, in recent years Amtrak has managed to alienate its major institutional customers�local commuter agencies and state transportation departments-and why many public agencies contracting with Amtrak may seek alternative operators in the future; argues that it is time to replace Amtrak with something more workable and relevant; and surveys what Great Britain, Japan, Canada, and the United States have done to privatize and develop publicly owned railroads. The book also considers some creative approaches to rail transportation.